Staff / The Times-PicayuneThe Saints won't be able to overcome their Thursday night loss to Chicago.

CBS Sports has confirmed what Saints fans have suspected ever since the team's crushing overtime loss in Chicago Thursday night ... the Saints are out of the playoffs.

Remarkably, much of what the Saints needed to transpire Sunday fell into place. The elimination game, as it were, ended up being Atlanta's overtime win against Tampa Bay.

The Buccaneers, by virtue of their better conference record, have assured themselves a wild-card spot over the Saints. Atlanta's win assured them of having the next tie-breaker over New Orleans (better record against common opponents), exahausting the Saints' final possible avenue.

New Orleans (7-7) finishes it season with a road contest against Detroit next week and the home finale against Carolina the following weekend.

Saints lost tiebreaker to Tampa Bay by virtue of conference record. Entering Sunday, New Orleans needed to win twice and the Falcons to lose twice, the Cowboys to lose twice, the Bears to lose twice, the Eagles to lose twice, and the Redskins to lose once. In addition, the Saints needed to win the following tiebreaker with Atlanta:

"Best won-lost-tied percentage in common games, minimum of four."

If New Orleans were to win out and the Falcons were to lose out, the teams would finish with the following records against common opponents: